Update, 3/6/14:The Honolulu Star-Advertiser has reported that the co-founder of Affordable Casket Outlet, LLC – the registered owner of the plan that crashed last Thursday —is John Weiser, Jr.

In 2007, Weiser’s company, Tora Flight Adventures, was penalized by the FAA for transporting tourists in small airplanes from Honolulu to Panda Ranch on Molokai’s West End without proper certification.

Several phone messages left for Weiser at the Panda Ranch have not yet been returned.

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As the Federal Aviation Administration begins its investigation today, details are slowly coming to light regarding a small plane that crashed on the West End of Molokai last Thursday.

a twin-engine Partenavia P68 Observer aircraft crashed on Molokai’s West End last Thursday.

Preliminary information shows that an accident involving a twin-engine Partenavia P68 Observer aircraft occurred Feb. 27, according to FAA Public Affairs Manager Ian Gregor. It is not know if the aircraft was taking off or landing from the private Panda Ranch Airport when the accident occurred.

Investigators traveled to Molokai today to examine the aircraft, according to Gregor. The investigators will review the plane’s maintenance records, conduct a detailed interview with the pilot and speak with the man who found the plane on Saturday. The pilot did not notify local law enforcement or the FAA who were alerted to the accident on Saturday by the man who found the damaged aircraft.

One report on this accident comes from MauiWatch. On Facebook, they reported that, “MPD arrived on scene shortly thereafter and confirmed that a small plane appeared to have crashed. Strangely, they found blood in the cockpit but no victims in sight. In the meantime, our MAUIWatch team got information that there were no walk-ins at Molokai General Hospital with injuries from a downed plane.”

What is known is the aircraft’s tail number, N947MZ, which is registered to Affordable Casket Outlet, LLC out of Honolulu.

Federal regulations require an aircraft operator to immediately report an accident to the NTSB. The NTSB has not yet determined whether this event qualifies as an accident or an incident. The categorization depends on the severity of the damage to the aircraft and whether anyone on board is seriously injured.

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No great mystery there…the owner of the property where the crash occured has maintained a grass airstrip at that location for many years. He had two Partenavia aircraft doing charters to Molokai from Oahu for tours of the west end until one of the aircraft crashed during climb-out from the grass strip some years ago. Several paying passengers were seriously injured in that accident. There are several “hulks” remaining on the property.